Blank feeding mechanism for extruding machines



Aug. 24,1937. H. D. SIMKIVNS ET AL BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM FOR EXTRUDING MACHINES Original Filed Jan. 17, 19:51 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 #wavroes HOWARD ,D. SIAM INS, deceased OLIVE/Q P DE L05 (LEVEL/3N0 TfillST (0., elecuzfor l/A II III/ 1937- H. D. SIMKINS ET AL 2,090,967

BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM FOR EXTRUDING MACHINES Original Filed Jan. 17, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Mrs/wales HOW/2D ,D. kS/IMV/KS deceased I Ul/WE 1? DE LOE k. Tbf (LEVEL/Um 721157 Ca, ezecmfor- Patented Aug. 24, 1937 UNITED STATES BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM FOR EX- TRUDING MACHINES Howard D. Simkins, deceased, late of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, by The Cleveland Trust Company, executor, Cleveland, Ohio, and Oliver P. De Loe, Detroit, Mich.

Original application January 17, 1931, Serial No.

509,522, new Patent No. 2,013,426, dated September 3, 1935. Divided and this application May 29, 1935, Serial No. 24,104

16 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved form of mechanism for feeding screw blanks or the like and is a division of co-pending application Serial No. 509,522, filed January 17, 1931, which has 5 become Patent 2,013,426, Sept. 3, 1935.

In the present disclosure, this mechanism is employed for feeding screw blanks to an extruding mechanism but it is to be understood that it may be employed also in combination with other 10 forms of mechanism. It is to be understood also that the feeding mechanism here disclosed may be modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention and all such modifications or variations are intended to be covered by the accompanying claims.

The present invention comprises an improved form of hopper for containing the supply of blanks together with an improved form of mechanism for feeding the blanks from the hopper to the chute from which the blanks are discharged.

A further object is to devise such an improved form of hopper and feeding means in a single unitary machine structure of comparatively simple form and capable of increased quantity production.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description and claims when considered together with the accompanying drawings.

Fig. l is a side elevation of the present improved form of combined mechanism;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the blank feeding means;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1;

' Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 44 of Fig.1;

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail sectional views of the rotatable disk associated with the hopper;

Fig. '7 is a plan view of a portion of the blankfeeding means;

Fig. 8 is taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 9 is taken on line 99 of Fig. 2.

The screw blanks are fed from the double hopper within the oppositely disposed vertical walls I and 2 suitably mounted upon the supporting frame of the machine structure, by means of mechanism now to be described. These blanks which are supplied from the doublehopper are received in the inclined chute between the walls 2 while the other end of the chute extends downwardly from the double hopper so as to feed the blanks to the extruding mechanism at the lower end of the chute. The side walls I and 2 of the hopper and chute are mounted together in pairs so as to be adjustable together toward and from each other for the purposeof varyingthe width of the chute for different sizes of blanks to be fed therealong. Virtually, the blanks are fed simultaneously from a pair'of hoppers into the same adjustable chute provided between the adjacent inner Walls of the companion hoppers.

This adjustment'ismade by means of thethreaded members 3 which'engage the base portions of the hopper sides '5 and which are mounted in the flanges l upon the frame structure; and there are provided also the set screws 5 for locking-the same in the position to which they'are adjusted. This adjustment will be further explained below.

Upon each side of the chute within the hopper,

there is provided an oscillating member 6 which has movement up and down within the hopper alongside the opposite walls 2 of the' 'chute' so as to feed the blanks from the hopper 'ontothe top of thechute. As clearly indicated in Fig. 4, the top' edges of the oscillating members ti are'in clined inwardly and downwardly so as'to facilitate the feeding of the blanks to the chute, and the top edges of the'chute upon the'oppo'site sides thereof are also inclined downwardly and inwardly for the same purpose. The blanks are in-' tended to be fed in this manner to the top of the chute so that the shanks thereof will find their way down into the chute with the heads thereof resting upon the top of the chute for feeding in such position therealong. 1

As a means of preventing the blanks from sticking in the chute and. for the purpose also of facilitating the settling of the shanks of the blanks in the chute; I have-provided the rotatably mounted disk 1 for cooperation with the chute at the point approximately where the chute extends through thefront Wall of the hopper. This rotatable disk or kicker is mounted upon the shaft 8 for operation by a mechanism to be later explained. The disk 1 is connected with its operating mechanism foroperation in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, andis provided with four projectinghte eth 9 located at 90 thereabout. The forward edges of the teeth 9, as indicated at 9*, are squared so as to effectively engage the blanks for removal of the same from the chute in case they have not already found their way into proper position within the chute. The other edges of the members 9, as indicated at 9 are beveled so as to facilitate rotation of the same, the top edges of the walls of the chute being recessed as indicated at H), to accommodate the rotationof the disk-l with the. teeth 9. The disk 1' is provided also with opp0-. sitely disposed pairs of adjustable fingers l I. These fingers II are positioned diametrically with respect to the disk I and'are adapted for adjustment by means of the screw l2 which extends diametrically of the disk I and engages at its two ends the inner surfaces of the oppositely disposed fingers II. The screw I2 is reversely threaded upon its two end portions so that upon rotation of the screw in one direction, the fingers ll engaged by the two ends thereof will be adjusted in. opposite directions. In this way, the fingers l I may be moved either outwardly or inwardly by adjustment of the screw l2. The middle unthreaded cut-out portion of the screw I2 is adapted for locking engagement by the plain, reduced end portions of the oppositely disposed set screws [3 which extend diametrically in the disk I, and access may be had thereto from opposite po-ints thereof. Upon loosening the screws I3, but without withdrawing the reduced ends thereof from the annular recess or cut-away portion of the screw l2, the adjustment of the screw I2 may be effected in the manner already explained and may then be set in such adjusted position by means of the set screw I3. As will be seen from Fig. 5, the projections ll rotate in planes corresponding with the inner edge portions of the walls 2 .of the chute, and just above the same in order to engage the blanks which might have lodged upon the top of the chute and thereby precipitate the same toward the chute so that they may fall thereinto. However, as above stated, any blanks which do not find their way into the chute, will be returned to the hopper by the kicking action of the teeth 9. Extending just above the top of the chute and immediately over the space provided therein, there is provided the strip 14 as a means of retaining the blanks in the chute as they are fed therealong. The one end of thelstrip l4 terminates in the region of the disk I and is beveled upon its lower side at the upper end thereof, as indicated by reference numeral [5, for the purpose of facilitating the passage of the heads of the blanks as they settle within the 'chute in their progression past this point.

The means for operating the oscillating arms A within the hopper, and the rotatable disk 1 will now be described. The drive wheel H which may be driven by belt connection from any suitable source of power, operates the chain of pinions and gears indicated by reference numerals I8, I9, 20, and 2|. Upon the shaft of the gear 2| are mounted a pair of eccentrics 22 and 23 which have connections 24 and 25 with the lever arms 26 and 21 which carry the oscillating members 6 for raising and lowering the same in alternate succession, as already indicated. Both of the levers 26 and 21 are mounted for such rocking movement about the stationary axis 28 provided in the frame structure. The strap 29 extends about the pulley 30 and is connected at its opposite ends to the outer ends of the levers 26 and 21 through the springs 3| so as to serve as a counter-balancing means for the up and down movements of the levers 26 and 21 during the operation of the oscillating arms 6. The pulley 30 is suspended universally from the arms I on the rear of the hopper by means of the swivel connections 30*, 30 and 30.

The arms 26 and 21 are adapted for lateral adjustment along the axis 28 and with them the sides I and 2 of the hopper, the arms 26 and 21 being formed with yoke portions, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Extending across these yoke portions are the rods which afford pivotal actuating connection for the operating arms 24 and 25. Thus,

there is afforded variation in the width of the chute, as referred to above.

The fly-wheel I1 is provided with a sprocket upon its shaft which, by means of the belt indicated in Fig. 1, drives the disk 1 in the direction and for the purpose already explained, the disk 1 being suitably mounted on axis 8 in the machine structure, as indicated in the drawings.

With the mechanism already described, the screw blanks will be fed from the double hopper so as to be disposed upon the top of the chute from the two sides thereof by the operation of the oscillating members 5. By means of the rotating disk and the means provided thereon, the blanks are then assisted in finding their way into the chute, while those which would otherwise still rest upon the top of the chute and thereby clog the entrance thereto, are kicked back into the two sides of the hopper by means of the two pairs of teeth 9 provided upon the disk for this purpose. In the normal operation of the machine, the blanks which are thus fed into the chute will be suspended therefrom by means of their heads which extend across the top of the chute and will descend by gravity down the chute which is sufficiently inclined for this purpose. As a means of preventing the blanks which are kicked back by the disk I from being thrown upwardly and possibly out of the hopper, there is provided the deflecting strip I which extends across the inside of the hopper in the region of the disk I, as indicated in Fig. 1.

Just beyond the lower end of the chute, there is located the extruding mechanism which comprises the reciprocating die holder 32 and the extruding die 33 adapted to receive the screw blanks in succession for projection thereby against the stationary member 34 mounted in the framev of the machine structure. The die 33 is adapted to receive the shank of the screw blank as it is fed thereto by means of an improved form of mechanism to be later described. In the present illustration, there is included also a die 33 which is adapted to point the end of the blank by the same operation, that is, to bevel the corner edge of the end thereof. The combination of dies which makes possible the simultaneous performance of these two operations upon the screw blank is illustrated in Fig. 9 of the drawings. The necessary spaces will of course be employed in association with the die or dies. And it is to be understood that in this machine there may be employed only the die 33 for performing only the extruding operation, or there may be employed only-the pointing die 33 for performing only the pointing operation, or there may be employed both the extruding die and pointing die for performing the two operations at the same time. The means for reciprocating the die holder 32 with the die or dies comprises an eccentric 36 which is mounted upon the shaft 35 with suitable operating lever connection 36 with the die holder. The shaft 35 is in turn operated by means of the gear 31 which meshes with the gear 38 upon the shaft of the flywheel l'l.

Mounted also upon the shaft 35, there is provided the cam 39 which engages the roller 40 upon the lower end of the operating arm 4| which is connected at its other end to the lever 42 pivotally mounted upon the axis 43 in the machine frame. The free end of the lever arm 42 is provided with the spring 44 which is anchored in the frame of the machine and which is adapted to normally force the lever arm 42 in counterclockwise direction about the axis 43, as viewed in Fig. 1. The action of the cam 39 is to rotate the lever arm 42 about the axis 43 in clockwise direction, and in this way, there is provided an oscillating movement of the lever arm 42 about its axis 43. Mounted upon the same shaft 43, there is provided the lever arm 45 which has pivotal connection to the lower projection provided upon the under side of the slidable carriage 46 which is located below the chute and which is adapted to be given sliding movement thereby Within the stationary slide-way 4! oppositely arranged in the machine frame. The slide member 46 carries a mechanism which is actuated by such sliding movement for the delivery of the blanks one at a time from the lower end of the chute to the die of the extruding mechanism. This mechanism for delivering the blanks will now be described.

Referring to Fig. '7, it will be seen that upon the slidable carriage 46, there arev provided a pair of oppositely disposed adjustable cooperating fingers 48 and 48 for delivering the individual screw blanks one at a time in rapid succession from the end of the chute to the extruding die. There is also the finger 49 which is mounted upon the side of one wall 2 and which is adapted for movement toward and from the same by virtue of the lengthened bolts 49 which extend through holes in the finger 49. This finger has its forward end bent inwardly and forwardly, as indicated, and the end of the chute wall 2 is correspondingly formed at this point. As indicated in Fig. 7, the bent end portion of the finger 49 extends partially across the mouth of the chute so as to enable the forward-most blank to rest temporarily thereagainst and to support the remaining blanks in the chute during the delivery of the forward blank by the fingers 48, 48 The finger 49 is maintained in such position by means of the coil spring 58 which is mounted upon the side of the wall 2 of the chute.

Upon the opposite side of the carriage 46, there is pivotally mounted about the axis 5! the arm 52 which has mounted upon its forward end in an adjustable manner the clamping finger 48, al-

ready referred to. The forward end of the finger 48 is notched so as to engage about the shank portion of the screw blank. Thus, with the cooperative action of the fingers 48 and 48 there is effected a three-point engagement of the shank of the screw blank as it is removed from the delivery end of the chute. The lever arm 52 is normally actuated bythe coil spring 54 so as to force the finger 48 intoposition for engagement with l the screw blank. That is, the influence of the spring 54 is in clockwise direction about the axis 5!. The spring 54 surrounds a pin which is mounted upon the lever arm 52 provided at its one end with an abutment 55 while at its other end it engages a fixed abutment 55 which is mounted upon the slidable carriage 46. The lever arm 52 at its rear end is provided with a roller 56 which is adapted to engage the cam portion 5! of the plate 58 which is mounted upon the aforesaid guide-way 4'! and which is adapted for turning movement by virtue of the pin and slot engagement 59 and 59*, the pin 59 being mounted upon the fixed guide-way 41. The roller 56 upon being advanced toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 7, will engage the cam shoulder 5! and cause such turning movement of the plate 58 which is then looked in such position by the engagement of the shoulder 66 over the cooperating shoulder 6! of the companion plate 62. This plate 62 is pivotally mounted at 63 on the guide-way 4'! and is normally turned in counter-clockwise direction about the axis 63 by means of the spring 64 which has its one end anchored to the guide-way 4'!, while its other end engages over the hook 65 upon the end of the member 62.

Thus, as the carriage 46 is advanced toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 7, the blank engaged between the fingers 48 and 48 will be delivered thereby past the finger 49 which is caused to recede from the path of the blank but which at once returns to its former position. The roller 56 will at the proper moment engage the cam shoulder 5! so as to cause the. plate 58 to be locked in turned position by interengagement of the por tions and 6!. The blankis engaged by the extruding die and as the carriage retreats, the finger 48 will snap out of engagement with the blank and return for engagement with the next blank. As the finger 48 approaches the. end of the chute, engagement of roller 56 with the rear portion of plate 58 causes the finger 48 to be withdrawn preparatory to engaging the foremost blanks. Then when roller abuts projection 66, arm 62 is turned in clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 7, so as to release. the shoulder 6! from engagement with the shoulder 66 whereupon the spring 54 will instantaneously return finger 48 to engaging position. Spring 64 turns lever 62 in counter-clockwise direction and at the same time, the movement of the roller 56 in such direction under influence of spring 54 returns the plate 58 to its original position, as indicated in Fig. '7, spring 58* maintaining the plate 58 in proper relation to the roller 56. The parts 68 and 6! are then in disengaged position and the finger 48 which has now been returned to engaging position with respect to the next or foremost blank in the chute, is now in proper co-operative position with the finger 48 for repetition of the same operations already described.

As the blanks are fed by gravity down the inclined chute, there is herein provided a means for relieving the blanks in the lower part of the chute from the increased pressure which would otherwise be exerted by the weight of the blanks in the upper part of the chute resting thereupon. This is for the purpose of preventing accidental discharge of the blanks from the end of the chute during the period when the fingers 48 and 48 are delivering the foremost blank to the extruding die and when the finger '49 is released. This means comprises the fingers 6'! and 68 adjustably mounted upon the rock arm 69 which is rockably mounted about the axis 16. This arm is mounted upon the fixed guide-way 4i, and the roller l! is caused to ride down the incline 72 on the rear end of the arm 13, upon the forward 'end of which is mounted the adjustable finger 19 already referred to. The movement of the roller I! along the shoulder i2 is effected by means of a coil spring I5 which engages the left hand end portion of the lever 69, as viewed in Fig. 7. Such action causes the forward finger 6'! tobe withdrawnfrom. the chute and the rear finger 68 to be inserted between two adjacent blanks in the chute. As will be seen, the finger 6! extends across the chute, while the finger 98 is in withdrawn position, according to the condition illustrated in Fig. '7. These fingers are mounted upon the lever 69 at opposite points with respect tothe pivotal axis 16 so that they will be moved alternately intoposition across the chute. In the position illustrated in Fig. 7, the blanks in the upper part of the chute will rest against the finger 6! so as to relieve the blanks in the lower part of the chute from the increased weight of the other blanks. Then, upon delivery of the foremost blank from the end of the chute, the finger 61 will be withdrawn and the finger 68 will be pro- 5 jected just behind the blank which has previously occupied position just to the rear of the finger 61. In this way, one of the blanks from the upper part of the chute is permitted to advance to the lower part of the chute so that the discharge of the foremost blank from the chute will be replaced by a new blank and at the same time, the engagement of the finger B8 behind the new blank, which is being advanced, will exert more or less forward movement upon the blanks along the lower part of the chute so as to prevent sticking of the same in the chute.

With the improved form of double hopper and blank-feeding means, the blanks will be fed at a considerably increased rate of supply from the double hopper to the chute by virtue of the alternately reciprocating pair of elevating members upon the two sides of the chute. These members are counter-balanced and will not stick. Also, with the improved form of rotating disk,

the blanks are not only enabled to more readily find their way into the chute, but also the kicker disk will return the blanks which would otherwise clog the chute, to the two sides of the hopper and as a result, there is avoided any accumulation of the blanks in what has been. commonly experienced as a dead spot in this part of the hopper in prior constructions. Furthermore, the mechanism provided for delivery of the blanks one at a time from the lower end of the chute to the extruding mechanism is capable of operation at a. comparatively increased speed. Thus, with the combined operations of the blank-feeding means and the blank-delivering means, together with the extruding and pointing operations, in a unitary machine structure, there is provided a complete, single form of device in which there is realized a considerable increase in the quantity production; and moreover, the mechanism for performing these operations is of a compara- 5 tively simple nature and not apt to get out of order. The mechanism is extremely dependable, the efficiency greatly increased, and there is produced a higher degree of quality so far as the finished product is concerned, and at a re-.

duced cost.

As above explained, the mechanism herein disclosed may be employed for performing either or both of the extruding and pointing operations. Also, the particular blank-feeding mechanism herein set forth may be employed in connection with other forms of mechanism than that for extruding and for pointing the blanks, and the scope of this application is to be so understood.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a double hopper for screw blanks, a chute within the hopper for discharging the blanks therefrom, means upon each side of the chute for feeding the blanks thereto from the 5 hopper, and means for operating said feeding 3. In a machine ofthe class described, the combination of adouble hopper for screw blanks, a chute within the hopper for discharging the blanks therefrom, duplicate means 'pivotally mounted upon the same axis and arranged upon" the two sides of the chute for feeding the blanks thereto from the hopper, and. means for operating said feeding means back and forth in alternate succession so as to supply blanks to the chute continuously.

4. In a machine of the class described, the com.-.

bination of a double hopper for screw blanks, a:

single chute within the hopper for discharging the blanks therefrom, separate reciprocating means upon each side of the chute for feeding the blanks thereto alternately from the two sides of the hopper, and means for returning to the hopper those blanks which do not enter the chute.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a double hopper for screw'blanks, a chute within the hopper for discharging the blanks therefrom, separate means having'back and forth movement upon each side of the chute for feeding the blanks thereto from the hopper, and means for preventing clogging of the chute.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a double hopper for screw blanks, a single chute within the hopper for discharging the blanks therefrom, separate, reciprocating means upon each side of the chute for feeding the blanks thereto alternately from the two sides of the hopper, and a single means for returning to the two sides of the hopper those blanks which do not enter the chute. I

'7. In amachine of the class described, the combination of a double hopper forscrew blanks, a single chute within the hopper for discharging the blanks therefrom, separate reciprocating means upon each side of the chute for feeding the blanks thereto alternately from the two sides of the hopper, and a single rotatable means for removing from the chute those blanks which do not enterthe same so as to thereby return the same to the hopper.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of adouble hopper forscrew blanks, a single chute within the hopper for discharging the blanks therefrom, separate reciprocating means upon each side of the chute for feeding the blanks thereto alternately from the two sidesof the hopper, and means for facilitating the entry of the blanks into the chute uponv being fed thereto from the two sides of the hopper.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a double hopper for screw blanks, a single chute within the hopper for discharging the blanks therefrom, separate reciprocating means upon each side of the chute for feeding the blanks thereto alternately from the two sides of the hopper, and a single rotatable adjustable means for facilitating the-entry of the blanks into the chute upon being fed thereto from the two sides of the hopper.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a double hopper for screw blanks, a single chute within the hopper for discharging the blanks therefrom, separate reciprocating means upon each side of the chute for feeding the blanks thereto alternately-from the two sides of the hopper, and a single rotatable means for facilitating the entry of the blanks into the chute. upon being fed thereto from the two sides of thehopper and for removing from the chute those blanks which do not enter the same so as to thereby return the same to the hopper.

11. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a double hopper for screw blanks, said hopper comprising two compartments arranged together with a space therebetween to serve as a chute for discharging the blanks therefrom, a separate means in each compartment for feeding the blanks therefrom to the chute, means for adjusting the hopper compartments towards and from each other so as to vary the size of the chute, and means for operating said blank-feeding means.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a double hopper for screw blanks, a chute within the hopper for discharging the blanks therefrom, oscillatable means upon each side of the chute for feeding the blanks thereto from the hopper, means for oscillating said feeding means in alternate succession so as to supply blanks to the chute continuously, and means for counter-balancing the movements of said oscillating means.

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a hopper for screw blanks, a chute for discharging the same therefrom, means for 5 feeding the blanks thereto from the hopper, and

rotatable means having diametrically disposed teeth adapted for movement adjacent the chute for facilitating the entry of the blanks into the chute, and simultaneously adjustable means for 30 varying the degree of projection of said teeth.

14. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a hopper for screw blanks, a chute for discharging the same therefrom, means for feeding the blanks thereto from the hopper, and rotatable means having diametrically disposed teeth adapted for movement in a plane adjacent the chute for facilitating the entry of the blanks into the chute and for removing from the chute those blanks which do not enter the same so as to thereby return the same to the hopper, and simultaneously adjustable threaded means for varying the degree of radial extension of said teeth.

15. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a double hopper for screw blanks, a chute within the hopper for discharging the blanks therefrom, oscillatable means upon each side of the chute for feeding the blanks thereto from the hopper, means for oscillating said feeding means in alternate succession so as to supply blanks to the chute continuously.

16. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a double hopper for screw blanks, a single chute within the hopper for discharging the blanks therefrom, and means for feeding the blanks alternately from the twoparts of the hopper so as to supply blanks to the chute continuously.

THE CLEVELAND TRUST COMPANY, Executor of the Estate of Howard D. Sz'mlcins,

Deceased.

By EDWARD B. ROBERTS,

Trust Ofiicer. OLIVER P. DE LOE. 

